Friday, November 8, 2013

Memoirs of My Life in North Carolina and NC State – Dining

2007 Fall  – 2008 Spring
 
In the first semester, I didn’t know what I can eat. There was a Food Lion within the walking distance from the apartment. I always buy frozen food and lettuce for dinner, and bread and milk for breakfast. In the university I grasped a cheese burger and fries in the Atrium food court. When I stayed in the library at night, I liked to join some Korean students to have dinner in Fountain Dining Hall, Waba or Charles’ Grilled Sub. Then I learnt there is a convenient dining option called meal plan. Across the Hillsborogh Street, there was a Chinese fast food restaurant. I didn’t understand why it was always packed with Chinese students in the lunch hour until I work in China. I lost several pounds in the first year.
 
 
 Continental breakfast warmed my heart


 
2008 Fall – 2010 Spring
 
I decided to buy meal plan to save my time from wondering where and what to eat. Because I only buy eight meals per week, at first I would check menu to decide when and which dining hall I would like to go to. The dining halls were clean and bright. Students have many choices here. I believed it was during this period of time, I learnt to know and appreciate American food.
 
2010 Fall – 2012 Spring
 
I had tired of checking the menu. The menu was not only recurred, but getting worse. I noticed some higher-priced food reduced in frequency or disappeared. The former example is strawberry, the latter is BBQ rib. The only incentive for me to check the menu is to make sure when fried chicken was available, usually on Wednesday or Thursday.
 
 Chicken Bowl

In 2010 summer, I bought a car. I drove the car to the gym frequently and need extra energy. I gradually discard abstain of fried food. In additional to fried chicken and fries, I ate potato chip and pizza. The buy one get one free for Lay’s and Utz products caught my eyes. In a moody snowy day, chip and all-natural orange juice comforted me effectively.
 
 
 Asian Style Beef Stew
 
Simple Meal
 
Frozen pot stick is convenient when I had no time to cook.

 
2012 Fall – 2013 Summer
 
I want to call this period of time “the year of junk food.” I was unhappy about the increasing price of meal plan. I had a car to go any restaurant near campus. It ends up I visited fast food restaurants like Bojangle’s, McDonalds’, Subway, Chipotle, NY Pizza, Zaxby and much more. Every visit I ordered a combo and have two cups of soft drink. I never worried about my health or weight. If I wanted to, I could add or reduce five pounds in a couple of weeks. When I find I was over-weighted, I quitted snack and push myself for another mile, otherwise I have potato chip and drink coke at night.
 
Quarter Pound Beef Burger

Chicken Tenders

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Jimmy John's Totally Tuna, quick and healthy
 
It's Bo Time... I mean it was Bo Time.
 
 
The last year I also started to make cakes and cook some special food at home. Making a cake is a way to set myself apart from others. When going to a potluck, I was one of a few that would present a homemade cake or cookies. It amused both guests and hosts.
 
 
Homemade Cheese Cake

 
 Chocolate Chip Cake
 
 
The final month in the US is the pinnacle of my cooking career. Chien-Yu came back to Raleigh and watched Joe’s house with me. At night we like to drink. It is impossible to have beer without dish. Sometimes we just have fruit, and most of the time we prepared sausage, Italian salad or chicken nuggets. We insisted to have high quality food. In the weekdays we drink ourselves, on the weekend we went to friends’ houses to drink. Then I left for the job. How a wonderful and sad summer in Raleigh, in North Carolina, in the US.

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